The Deaf Boy in Slytherin Book One
by Demi-Raven
Summary: What if Harry Potter was not the chosen one? What if he was with his Aunt when Voldemort attacked his parents? What if Harry Potter was Deaf? Join us in a story where Harry is introduced to the Wizarding World and has to overcome what he believes to be his "disability" while also trying to understand the wizarding world.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It was a story Harry Potter knew by heart, despite being unable to hear it. His Aunt Petunia would tell him the same story every time she had a bad day at work.

"Your mother called me to try and make amends after your sainted Uncle Vernon passed away. Yes, Dudley, your father was the best person I had ever known in my entire life. Anyway, Lily manages to invite herself, and you, over for dinner. Well, can you believe it, right after we clear the dinner dishes, Lily makes some excuse about her husband James and runs off, leaving you behind. So the whole next day, I'm at home, waiting for her to come back, but she just abandoned you. Here, with me. And she knew that I had my own little tyke - yes, Duddy, that's you - to care for! But I guess that irresponsibility got handed down from parent to child. Does that explain why your chores are never done, Harry?"

Harry usually tried to remember his mother during this time, but he could only remember growing up as the second, unwanted child of Petunia Dursley. He began to daydream, and recalled going to the neighbor's house with Dudley before kindergarten while Aunt Petunia was at work, and he recalled his excitement to start kindergarten. He smiled as he thought of his kindergarten teacher and how she would hang his pictures on the wall, and how she would tell him that he was a very smart little boy. The smile faded as he remembered how his ears had hurt so badly right after summer holiday started, and how Aunt Petunia had yelled at him for being selfish. Two weeks later, Aunt Petunia pulled Harry out of story time and brought him to a doctor that moved his mouth a lot, but didn't actually make any noise. Harry, at 5 years old, thought maybe the doctor was playing a game, and Harry wanted to play, too. But the doctor wasn't playing, and Harry was left alone to figure out how to be in a world where he wouldn't be able to hear his teacher telling him that he was learning his letters very well.

The next September, Aunt Petunia fussed over Dudley more than usual. Harry waited for his turn, but it never came. Finally, Harry pointed to the shopping bags full of new clothes and school supplies and then to himself, and looked at Aunt Petunia hopefully. Petunia explained that Harry wasn't going to school with Dudley anymore, he was going back to the neighbor's house for instruction. Fortunately for Harry, Mrs. Thompson used to be a teacher, and was able to teach him some words and basic math. But what Petunia didn't know was that sweet, little, old Mrs. Thompson was also fluent in British Sign Language when she was younger, so she taught Harry to sign as well. Harry flourished under his new instruction, and was soon reading books way ahead of his age group.

When Aunt Petunia found out that Harry was learning Sign Language, she was definitely not pleased. To punish Harry, she sent him to "clear out" the backyard. The backyard had been largely unattended since Uncle Vernon had passed away, Petunia being too busy working and spending time with her "favourite little man" to keep the yard in any sort of shape.

Over a weekend, Harry dragged out the rake and some garbage bags, and started removing all the dead things from the yard. Bags upon bags of dead leaves and forgotten flower bushes piled up as the hours passed. When Harry began to take the bags out to the street to be picked up, he found a little green grass snake. Knowing that Petunia would make him kill the snake, Harry moved very slowly towards the tiny creature, with the hope of being able to put it safely into Mrs. Thompson's yard. Strangely, the snake didn't slink away when Harry came close enough to touch it's scaly skin. As Harry reached for the little snake, the snake almost seemed to smile at him. "That's ridiculous," Harry thought, as his hand barely brushed the shiny green scales. Sparks flew up Harry's arm, and the snake just curled into his palm.

"Hello, sssssstrange one," Harry felt a whispery voice behind his left ear. "Thank you for sssssssaving me." Harry's eyebrows nearly flew off of his forehead when he realised what was happening: this little snake was talking to him! At first, Harry was confused, because he couldn't hear when Aunt Petunia or Dudley spoke to him. As Harry tried to find a complete thought, the little snake continued. "I undersssssstand your emotion right now. I'm not jussssst a grassssss sssssnake; I'm part occamy on my mother'sssssss sssssside. That meanssssss I can change my sssssssize and alsssssso communicate telepathically. I've been living in here for yearssssss, waiting for you to find me. I come from a ssssssschool called Hogwartssssss, and I need to get back there. Will you help me?" Harry thought that he would love to help the little snake, but Aunt Petunia would never let a snake into her pristine house. "Don't worry," the snake continued. "Your… aunt?... will never sssssssee me. Watch." And as Harry looked, the little snake seemed to soak into his skin, looking oddly like the tattoos that the young man down the street had on his arms. "Pull your sssssssleeve down." The whispery voice vibrated behind Harry's ear again. Harry complied, and with his sleeves down, Aunt Petunia would never see his new friend. So Harry finished the yard work, and then spent the evening talking to his new friend about this place called "Hogwarts".

Harry shook his head to clear his head of all of his memories. Thanks to Hedwig, his little snake, he knew that he was a wizard, and he should be going to Hogwarts on his 11th birthday. Hedwig also remembered Harry's parents from her days roaming the castle grounds. "Yesssss, I remember Jamesssss Potter. He was the weightless boy, and he was always talking to the red girl." Harry knew from the one picture he had of his parents that his mother had bright red hair. Harry sighed and looked at the clock, which read 11:58pm. In exactly two minutes, it would be Harry's birthday, and he would turn 11. Aunt Petunia would have forgotten, and would remember only when Harry pointed it out on the calendar. After dinner, there would be exactly one present, terribly wrapped, on Harry's bed. Harry would open it, and it would be one of Dudley's old things that he didn't want anymore. "Oh well," thought Harry, "it can't be as bad as the year I got that awfu-" Harry felt the entire house shake, and he leapt out of bed to investigate. When he got to the living room, Harry was presented with the largest man he had ever seen. Harry wondered how he had gotten in, when he felt Aunt Petunia come running down the stairs with her light, quick steps. The large man started talking to Petunia, and Hedwig whispered everything so that Harry could keep up and not show this stranger what he considered his weakness.

"My name is Hagrid, and I've come to take Harry Potter to Hogwarts, seeing as you haven't answered any of Dumbledore's letters," said the large man, who was apparently named Hagrid. Harry wondered who Dumbledore was, and why he hadn't gotten any letters.

"You didn't get a response because you're not taking him to that- that- freak show!" Petunia replied, growing red in the face. "My sister went there, and she ended up marrying that Potter and ruining her life. So no, you're not taking him."

"Very funny, Ms. Dursley," Hagrid chuckled. "Wizards can decide for themselves whether or not they want to go when they don't live with their parents. Harry?"

Harry nodded his head, not willing to speak in front of Aunt Petunia. She wasn't aware that he was practicing speaking with Mrs. Thompson, and Harry prefered it that way. Hagrid nodded back, and told Harry to grab anything he needed to go away to school. Harry disappeared into his "room" and returned with the blanket his mother had left with him, and the photograph of his parents. Hagrid smiled not unkindly at Harry, and gestured that Harry should follow him out the door. Harry did, and upon leaving the only home he had ever known, was hoisted onto a giant, black motorcycle. Hagrid plopped a helmet onto Harry's head and revved the engine. "Ready?" Hagrid asked over the rumbling Harry felt through his entire body. Harry nodded, once, and the motorcycle began to lift straight up. Harry began to panic, and Hagrid laughed. "Don't worry Harry, my bike is protected by magic. As long as you're wearing the helmet, you won't fall out." Harry let out his breath, slightly less worried about falling to his death. Hagrid continued, "So before we get to Hogwa-"

"Where's my mom? And my dad?" Harry interrupted. Hagrid looked surprised by Harry's outburst. "Well, you can speak. That makes this easier." Hagrid answered, trying to avoid Harry's question. But Harry was relentless, and finally Hagrid landed his motorcycle - "Her name's Lucille, isn't she a beaut?" - and prepared himself to answer Harry's question.

"When you were a baby, there was this one wizard who went about as bad as a wizard could go. Your parents were part of a group that was trying to prevent him from hurting people, and killing them. Unfortunately, the night your mom took you to visit your aunt, this bad wizard went to your house and attacked your dad." Hagrid took a deep breath and hung his head slightly. "Your dad didn't make it Harry." Harry was frozen to the spot. Over the years, he had imagined thousands of scenarios, trying to picture where his parents might be. But he never once imagined that his mother was alone. Hagrid had paused to allow Harry to get his thoughts in order. Harry gulped and asked the question he was now dreading: "And my mom?" Hagrid only shook his head, and Harry dropped his chin to his chest to try to hide the tears that welled in his eyes. Hedwig wrapped her tail around Harry's arm to try and show her understanding of his whirling emotions.

After a moment, Harry sniffled and wiped his eyes. He looked at Hagrid and asked what happens next. Hagrid told Harry that they needed to stop at the bank, and then they needed to get Harry's school supplies. Harry was confused, because he didn't have any money on him, and Aunt Petunia never opened a bank account for him.

"Now, Harry, your mom and dad would never just leave you with nothing. Come on and see." Harry didn't understand, but he followed anyway. Hagrid walked into a large building that looked as though it would topple at any moment. "I don't trussssssst thisssss," Hedwig hissed. Harry mentally agreed, but followed Hagrid anyway.

Once inside what Hedwig called "the wobbly building", Harry's eyes adjusted to the dim lights and saw creatures he had never seen before. "Goblins," Hagrid explained, "are the only creatures that work at Gringott's. They only trust their own kind, so this is the safest place in the world to store something." Hagrid walked up to the tall counter and asked for vault 731, while presenting a key. Harry vaguely noticed that those numbers were the same as his birthday. The wrinkly goblin led Harry and Hagrid to a rickety-looking wooden cart. Harry nervously climbed inside. Hagrid told Harry not to worry, and with a wink, off they went.

After what felt like an eternity, the cart rolled to a stop outside of a large metal door with the number shining in the torchlight. Hagrid handed Harry the key and nudged him forward. Harry slid the key into the padlock, half expecting it to get stuck. Hedwig made a little hissing sound in support, and Harry turned the key. The door swung in to reveal mounds of gold, silver, and brass coins.

"Is all of this… mine?" Harry asked, eyes wide with shock. "Yes, Harry, this is yours to pay for school and a place to live once you've graduated. Unless you want to live with your aunt again?" Hagrid responded with a chuckle. Harry shook his head vigorously and blanched at the thought.

Hagrid collected the money that they would need to purchase all of Harry's school supplies, and the pair departed for a place called "Diagon Alley". Harry followed his large companion through a nondescript pub, noticing that the people inside were largely wearing robes, and one man was absent-mindedly stirring his tea. After a second glance, Harry noticed that the spoon was actually turning on its own, and the man was simply moving his finger. Harry realised that he must be a real wizard! "He isssss," Hedwig told him, "and apparently a very powerful one."

After Hagrid had stopped to talk to a couple of people, he and Harry arrived at a brick wall at the end of an alleyway. Harry was puzzled, but Hagrid winked again and began to tap the bricks in some sort of pattern. Harry felt the ground begin to shake as the bricks parted to reveal what appeared to be some sort of shopping center. He mentally asked Hedwig to only whisper to him when he was being directly spoken to, otherwise he wouldn't be able to process all of the conversations around him. "Of courssssssse, my hatchling," Hedwig replied. Harry was content to wander around and observe all of these new people, all of these new things he had never even dreamt of before. Occasionally Hagrid would ask Harry for his opinion on something, and Harry would either nod or shake his head in response. To be honest, Harry wasn't sure he would be able to speak loud enough to be heard over all of the other people that appeared to be talking.

All of a sudden, Harry felt a *thump* against his shoulder and he lost his balance. From his new position on the cobblestones, he looked up to see a young girl, maybe a year or two younger than him, with bright red hair. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you," was all she said before helping him up and running off. He watched her join a group that appeared to be her family, as they all had the same red hair and the same woman fussing over all of them. Harry wondered what it would be like to have siblings, "It'ssssss not fun," Hedwig interrupted Harry's thought process. "They ssssssssleep on top of you, and then they try to sssssssteal your food while you're eating it. Trusssssst me, hatchling, you don't want ssssssssiblings." Harry smiled to himself at Hedwig's words, and continued following Hagrid in and out of shops.

Several hours and several hundred dollars later, Harry stood inside King's Cross station with his packages bundled up in his new steamer trunk that Hagrid insisted was a birthday present. Hagrid had left Harry at the train station a few minutes ago, with the instructions "Just go to platform 9 ¾ and I'll see you at the school." Shrugging, Harry walked up to the nearest King's Cross station master and asked where his platform was. The man glared at Harry and told him that he didn't have time for pranks today. Turning around, Harry saw the same red-headed girl that bumped into him walking with her mother. "And they just run right into the wall like that? Right between the platforms?" The little girl seemed wonderstruck. "Yes Ginny, just like that, right between platforms 9 and 10," the mother replied, clearly ready to go home for the day. Harry started walking towards platforms 9 and 10, and saw the wall in the middle. He thought he may as well give it a go, what's the worst that could happen? "You could hit the wall and get a concussssssssion," answered Hedwig, the voice of reason. Harry took a deep breath, and started to run.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Harry released the breath he hadn't realised he was holding as he took in the sight of the giant red locomotive right in front of him. He saw the steam come out of the front of the train and figured that he should probably find a seat, as the train would probably be leaving soon. "Sssssssounds like a plan," Hedwig agreed. So Harry climbed aboard and sat near a window. A girl with a cloud of shiny black curls popped her head in to ask if she could join him, but she walked away before Harry could say that he wouldn't mind. Hedwig whispered that someone else had called out to her, and she went to sit with them instead. That was fine, too. Harry was just as content to hold Hedwig in his lap and watch the world pass by on the way to this mysterious school. After a few minutes, Harry began to doze off. He dreamed of flying motorcycles and of a glowing deer that chased him around, and he was laughing. The girl with the shiny curls came and woke him up to tell him that they would be at the school soon, so maybe he should put his robes on. Hedwig was frightened by the sudden intrusion, so she wrapped herself around Harry's waist to hide. As Harry put his new school uniform on, he felt Hedwig slither up onto his shoulder. "Thissssss issssss my favourite ssssssspot," Hedwig almost purred. Harry laughed as the train came to a stop and he saw his new school for the first time.

The sight of the castle looming over the lake normally would have terrified Harry, but he felt a strange sense of calm come over him. He somehow knew that this strange building, with all its towers and windows, was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Upon exiting the train, Harry saw Hagrid trying to herd all of the students towards the lake. After mentally asking Hedwig what was happening, she explained that "the large one" was trying to get "the other hatchlings" to get into the rowboats to cross the lake and make their entrance. Harry felt Hedwig's anxiety as if it were his own, and was himself a bit unsure about these rickety little boats. "Don't worry, Harry," Hagrid reassured them, "These boats can never sink, so they're perfectly safe." At Hagrid's words, Harry remembered Mrs. Thompson telling him about a movie that was being made in America about a cruise ship that was also "unsinkable". But, after taking a deep breath, Harry settled into the boat along with who he guessed would be his new classmates.

As it turned out, Hagrid was right; the boats didn't sink into the bottom of the lake. But on the other shore, all of the new students were met by a professor who looked as though she wouldn't hesitate to punish a student for acting up. Hedwig whispered "Her name is Professssssssor McGonagall," and proceeded to relay the instructions for how to enter someplace called "the Great Hall".

"After you all walk in, you will one by one be called up to the Sorting Hat,"

"Sorting Hat?" Harry wondered.

"Once you are sorted, you will receive your house tie and will be asked to find a seat at your house table." the professor finished with a decisive nod. Harry just nodded and followed the crowd up a small flight of stairs through the largest wooden doors he had ever seen. The doors flew open, seemingly of their own accord, and the parade of students marched up the center aisle towards what appeared to be a lump of old, brown cloth sitting on a stool. There was an old man standing behind a podium making some sort of speech, but Harry was too mesmerized by his surroundings to even begin processing what was being said. "Don't go to the third floor or you'll die," Hedwig interrupted Harry's thoughts. Harry absentmindedly nodded, forgetting for a moment that Hedwig couldn't actually see him doing it. Finally, the stern-looking professor walked up to the stool with a scroll of paper and began calling out names.

The cloud girl was the first person called that Harry recognized. According to the scroll, her name was Hermione Granger, and she was sorted into something called Gryffindor. Her smile shone brilliant white against her dark skin, and she practically skipped over to her new table. The next person Harry took notice of was a clumsy boy who tripped his way up the stairs. When he turned around to sit on the stool, his face was bright red with embarrassment. His name was apparently Neville Longbottom, and he was also sorted into Gryffindor. A few more students went up and were assigned to various places, such as Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. "What the hell is a Hufflepuff?" thought Harry. Finally, Hedwig whispered "It'sssssss your turn, hatchling." Harry took a deep breath and began to walk toward the hat.

As Harry was walking up the stairs, he caught the eye of the old man who was speaking when Harry entered. The man had a sort of knowing look in his eye, and it threw Harry off guard. Shaking his head slightly, Harry sat on the stool and tried not to think about it. All of a sudden, this old hat was sitting on his head, and Hedwig began her whispering.

"Hmm. Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes — and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

Harry just wanted to be able to make the most of his life so he didn't have to go back to living in Petunia's back guest room with all of his cousin's old, broken things.

"Well, based on that thought process, you're clearly ambitious. Slytherin!"

Mildly confused, Harry accepted a green and grey striped tie from a man who looked like he hadn't smiled in at least 10 years, and walked toward the table where a bunch of people also wearing green ties were standing and clapping. A cup full of what smelled like pumpkin juice appeared in front of him, and Harry took a long drink to avoid needing to talk to all of these people at once.

Several students later, one of the people sitting near Harry commented, "Coo, it's the Malfoy kid." Harry watched as a boy his age swaggered up to the stool and sat, hopping up again less than 5 seconds later. Hedwig named him "the sssssssssshiny boy" and Harry let out a chuckle. Unfortunately, Harry let out that chuckle right as the boy named Malfoy was walking past him.

"Were you laughing at me?" the boy looked at Harry as though he were worth less than a speck of dust on the boy's perfectly shined shoes. "No, not at all," Harry stammered back. "You better not have been, otherwise my father will hear about this." The boy stalked to where a seat had been saved for him. Harry had a feeling that the boy would threaten to tell his father about a lot of things. Normally, Harry would have tried to go and apologize, but platters upon platters of food had just appeared on the table, and Harry hadn't eaten in what felt like days. He loaded his plate with a little bit of every single dish within arms reach, and also managed to sneak some choice pieces of chicken into a napkin for Hedwig to snack on after dinner. Throughout dinner, Harry was introduced to upperclassmen whose names he wouldn't remember, and taught some rules that he knew he would forget. Yet he knew, sitting there surrounded by strangers, that this would be a lot of fun.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

A month had passed, and Harry thought that he had settled into his new life pretty well. He really enjoyed his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, taught by Professor Quirrell, but Hedwig didn't enjoy trying to relay all of the information that was being given, due to Professor Quirrell's stuttering problem. Harry didn't really have an issue with the stutter, being deaf, but he occasionally had to ask his table partner, Terry Boot from Ravenclaw, to repeat what had just been said.

Astronomy was kind of boring a lot of the time, but Harry still found the assignments fun to complete. Hedwig wondered why her hatchling would go outside, alone, at night, just to look at the sky, but Harry just shushed her and drew his star maps as best he could. History of Magic was also a little bit dull, but it helped that the cloud girl was also in his class, and told everyone that she would help them study if they needed her. Harry made a mental note of that, and kept doing the best he could.

Transfiguration was taught by the ever-serious Professor McGonagall. Harry's transfigurations didn't always come out right, but the professor would somehow always see exactly what went wrong, and help him correct it. Sometimes, Harry wondered what would happen if someone tried to play a joke on her during class, but Hedwig interrupted his thoughts with a "Don't even conssssssider it, hatchling," and Harry went on with his work.

Potions was taught by the man who never smiled, whose name was Professor Snape. On the first day, Professor Snape had looked at Harry strangely, but quickly shook his head and moved on to teaching his class how to "bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses." Harry thought the whole thing was a little dramatic, but he was here to learn, so he wasn't about to question it.

On days when it was nice out, Harry also took flying lessons with a professor named Madame Hooch. She was a thin, wiry professor who could be mistaken for a student if you weren't paying attention. Harry was pretty good at flying, but he wanted to get good enough to be on the Slytherin house quidditch team. All of the other first year students were also supposed to take a course called Charms, and something called Herbology.

In Charms class, Harry sat next to a boy from Gryffindor. They both smiled and said hello, but were quickly distracted by the professor coming in to start the lesson. "Professsssssor Flitwick," Hedwig told Harry as the smaller man began to teach. Their first charm was some sort of flying spell, where they had to make a feather float in the air. Most of their classmates seemed to have gotten the hang of it, except for the boy next to Harry. Harry just shook his head and focused on his own feather, until he felt a rush of heat and saw the shocked expressions of everyone else in the room. Fearing the worst, Harry risked a glimpse of his table partner. The poor boy's face was blackened, and the remnants of his feather sat smoldering on the table. Still halfway in shock, Harry said, "I think we need another feather."

Professor Flitwick brought another feather, and the boy tried again. He seemed to be doing okay, so Harry made his feather float and got distracted looking out the window toward the lake. Harry was so lost in thought that he didn't register the heat coming from his arm. He didn't notice anything until the cloud girl dumped a cup of water over his head and he smelled the smoke coming from the sleeve of his robe. After a minute of panic, Harry realised that the only thing burning were his robes, so he reassured the fire boy that he was fine, and no, he wasn't upset. However, the professor insisted that Harry go to the medical wing, just to be sure.

That evening, the shiny boy came to sit near Harry as he was studying in front of the window in the Slytherin common room. "Why didn't you change seats after Finnegan blew up his feather in Charms?" he asked, feigning disinterest in the answer. "I didn't think I would need to," Harry replied honestly. The shiny boy nodded, seeming satisfied with the answer. "Why did you ask?" Harry called after him. After a pause, the shiny boy turned around. "Slytherins look out for each other. I wanted to make sure you were okay." And with that, he turned and disappeared into the boy's side of the dormitory.

Harry began to wonder about the shiny boy's odd behavior, but something outside the window caught his eye. He enjoyed sitting by this particular window, looking out under the lake to see all the different sorts of life that grew under water. Occasionally, he would see a mermaid or two rush past the window. Today, though, the mermaids were swimming slowly, moving their hands around as they moved. After a moment, Harry noticed that they were using sign language! Harry realized suddenly that he hadn't used sign language since before his birthday, and he missed it. On a whim, he approached the window and tapped on it gently with the tip of his finger. The mermaids immediately turned and approached the window. Harry smiled as they put on angry faces and started signing "tiger golf mother tree jacket football". He laughed and signed back to them "I understand you." The two mermaids looked shocked, and signed "You speak -" and then something Harry didn't catch. When he asked for clarification, one of the mermaids explained "Myr, the mermaid language," and repeated the sign. Harry nodded and told them how on land, this was called sign language and yes, he knew the language. The mermaids looked excited, and vanished in a cloud of bubbles. Harry was confused and went back to his seat on the couch to resume his studying.

Less than five minutes later, Harry saw movement outside the window. The two mermaids from before had brought a few friends with them to the window. Harry walked up to the window again, and introduced himself to all the expectant faces practically pressed up against the glass. The mermaids introduced themselves to him. There were so many names to remember… Hanna, Medi, Adri, Cifi, the names kept coming. Harry acknowledged that they were beautiful names, and wondered if they meant anything. The mermaid named Hanna told Harry that every mermaid in the world is named after a body of water, and that she was named after a river in America called the Susquehanna. Medi came forward and proudly signed that she was named after the Mediterranean Sea, which made sense, considering her olive skin and dark hair. Adri was named after the Adriatic Sea, and she wanted nothing more than to visit her namesake. Cifi was named after the Pacific Ocean, and she was very proud of her name as well. Harry smiled and complimented each mermaid as she explained her name, and then signed that he was sorry he couldn't talk more, but he needed to go do his school work. All of the mermaids waved and swam off except one small mermaid he hadn't seen before. He beckoned her forward, and she slowly approached.

"Hi, I'm Harry," he signed

"My name is Jordan," the mermaid shyly signed

"It's nice to meet you," Harry replied with a smile

"You should come sit on the edge of the lake tomorrow afternoon," Jordan signed before swimming to join her sisters. Harry hadn't replied to her request, but he knew he would be on the edge of the lake the next day, just like she had asked.


	4. Chapter 4

**We would just like to make a shout out to Unscrewedup who gave us our first review!**

 _Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

Chapter Four

The next day, Harry sat on the edge of the lake and waited for Jordan, his new mermaid… friend? Harry thought for a moment and realized that he didn't really have friends at this school. Yes, he had classmates, and he had a roommate named Blaise Zabini, but no one he would really consider a friend. Hedwig hissed at him, and Harry smiled at her. "Aside from you, obviously," Harry corrected. Before Hedwig had a chance to respond, Jordan's head broke the surface of the lake. She waved hello, and pointed to a rowboat tied up about 20 meters away from where Harry was sitting. Hedwig followed the action without moving her head, and told Harry " _You don't need me in that thing, right hatchling?_ " before slithering off to catch herself some lunch. Harry shook his head and climbed into the boat.

Jordan waited until Harry was seated, then swam under the boat and pulled Harry out onto the lake enough to use the oars. With a flip of her tail, Jordan swam out to about the middle of the lake and waited for Harry to catch up. She had a devious grin as Harry approached, and Harry asked her what she was planning.

"Nothing, I promise," Jordan signed, with the same grin still in place. Harry sighed and asked what her smile was for, if she wasn't planning something.

"I know why you know Myr!" she signed triumphantly. The joy drained out of her face as Harry's eyes widened in fear of his secret being exposed. She quickly asked him what happened to scare him. Harry deflected her question by asking her to explain her earlier statement. Jordan steadied herself in the water, and began to sign.

"Humans don't know Myr. Ever. But you do. You also don't notice when we sing as the sun goes down, and you also don't talk to the other humans in your cave unless you can see them right in front of you. So I thought about it, and I asked Ama, and she told me that sometimes humans have ears that don't work. Is that why you know Myr?" Jordan looked up at Harry, waiting for her answer.

"Deaf. The word is deaf." Harry felt like something had been lifted off of his chest. "I got sick when I was little, and my aunt didn't bring me to the doctor in time. So yes, I'm deaf. But I have my snake, Hedwig, and she helps me manage around people that don't sign." The more Harry told Jordan, the lighter he felt.

"Deaf. I like it." Jordan smiled at Harry, and he couldn't help the smile that broke out in return. Jordan continued, "We have a lot of mermaids that can't hear. But they have advantages that the rest of us are missing, and as a family, we would be absolutely lost without them. Why haven't you told your family that you have those advantages? They might need the help."

Harry thought for a moment, then signed "On land, deafness isn't really considered a good thing. When I was little-" Jordan cut Harry off and started signing so fast Harry could hardly keep up. He laughed and asked her to repeat herself, but a little slower.

"Of course being deaf is a good thing. Maybe you don't have advantages like mermaids do, but it's something that makes you special, and that's good. Besides, maybe you could find other deaf people and make friends with them, so they understand what you're going through. At least promise me you'll think about it." Jordan implored.

"Okay, I'll think about it," Harry sighed. He felt like finding another deaf wizard was going to be nearly impossible. But when Harry thought about what he was feeling, he realized that he had called himself deaf, and a wizard. That alone made Harry feel empowered, so he told Jordan that he would find friends. Jordan smiled, nodded, and then with a wave, disappeared below the surface as Harry rowed back to shore.

Back on dry land, Hedwig was waiting for her hatchling so she could crawl up to her favorite spot on his shoulder. It was a good thing she was waiting, because Harry's roommate was waiting on shore as well.

"What were you doing in the middle of the lake?" Blaise asked. Harry shrugged and told him that he knew sign language when he was younger, and was practicing with a mermaid. Blaise laughed in disbelief, and just said "Sure, man. Either way, it's time for dinner." Confident that his secret was still safe, he followed his roommate to the Great Hall.

At dinner, Harry was seated next to the shiny boy, who Harry had learned was named Draco. Hedwig didn't approve of the name, saying that this boy was definitely not worthy of being named after a great dragon, especially with how whiny he was. Harry reminded her that she wasn't allowed to name other people's hatchlings, and she would just huff and mutter about how she was right either way. Draco asked Harry why he was spending so much time near the common room window lately. Harry excitedly responded that he was practicing his sign language before he remembered that his being deaf was a secret. Draco and those other two he was always with looked at Harry with a variety of puzzled expressions. Harry hastily tried to come up with an explanation, but was saved by his roommate.

"Yeah mate, he's got a little cousin that's deaf back home, and he doesn't want to lose his skill before he goes home for holiday," Blaise said without missing a beat. Harry mentally sent a thank you to his roommate, and went back to his impossibly delicious dinner. Later that night, Harry thanked his roommate for coming to his rescue, and his roommate just told him that Slytherins look after their own. Harry fell asleep wondering if he already had friends that he wasn't aware of before now.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone that has left us comments! We really appreciate you and hope you continue enjoying the story! xx

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 _Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

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Chapter Five

Harry was progressing well in his classes, and becoming more friendly with his fellow Slytherins as the weeks turned into months. Blaise was turning into a really good friend, and Jordan was helping Harry keep up with his signing. However, Harry felt as though there was something else he should be learning. The only problem was, he wasn't sure exactly what.

One day between classes, Harry was going up a flight of stairs when it suddenly shifted under his feet. The Slytherin prefect had warned him that this could happen, so Harry didn't panic. When he got off of the stairs, however, he was standing in front of a portrait he had never seen before. Hedwig poked her head out of Harry's robe and wondered who the man in the painting was, and why he was staring at her. Harry responded that he wasn't sure, but they should probably get a move on if they wanted to be to class on time.

"A-ha! I knew it!" the painting yelled so loudly that Harry could feel the air vibrate around him. Harry turned to look at the painting of a now very excited face. "Can I help you?" Harry asked, still confused. Hedwig had retreated into Harry's shirt, ready to start relaying the man's words.

"My name is Salazar Slytherin, and I'm the founder of the house you belong to," the painting replied with a smile. "I noticed that you have a pet snake, is that right?"

"Yes, I have a snake," Harry answered, unsure of how much information he should share with a painting.

"Are you curious about how I knew you have a snake?" The painting was trying to goad Harry into opening up, but Harry had been subject to Petunia doing that to him for years, so he was practically immune by now.

"A little, but if I don't start walking right now, I'm going to be late to Astronomy." Harry gathered his books in his arms and began walking down an unfamiliar corridor. Much to his dismay, the man jumped from picture frame to picture frame, following Harry down the hall.

"You were speaking Parseltounge, that's how I knew." Harry paused, curious to hear what the painting had to say.

" _Classssssss, hatchling_ ," Hedwig hissed impatiently.

" _I know, I know,_ " Harry replied, moving forward.

"There! You just did it!" Slytherin followed, bumping well-dressed young ladies and knights out of the way. "I knew you were a Parselmouth!" Harry suddenly whirled around to face the painting.

"Listen. I need to go to class. I want to learn more, but I need to go. I'll be back at the common room after dinner." Without giving his house's namesake time to reply, Harry walked into his Astronomy class, apologized to his professor, and got to work.

After dinner, Harry made his excuses to sit out in the hall and wait for Salazar Slytherin to show up. Hedwig offered her commentary, saying " _I don't trussssssst thisssssss Ssssssssslytherin man_." Harry sighed and replied " _I know, but I'm willing to hear him out, per se_." Hedwig huffed but stayed quiet. Moments later, Slytherin appeared in the painting across the hall from Harry's seat on the floor. Harry stood and walked toward the frame on the wall, but Slytherin motioned for Harry to follow him from picture to picture. It felt as though Harry had been wandering through the castle for hours when Salazar Slytherin finally came to a stop in what appeared to be an abandoned part of the castle. " _Where are we_?" Hedwig asked. Before Harry could reply, Slytherin spoke.

" _My dear little one, we are in the East wing of the castle. I needed a private place to see how advanced your hatchling is in the ways of Parseltounge._ " Harry was shocked that he could understand what was being said by someone other than Hedwig. Slytherin continued, " _If Harry's housemates knew that he was a Parselmouth, they would undoubtedly discover other secrets that maybe our boy doesn't want anyone to know, such as his inability to hear._ "

" _How do you know sssssssso much about MY hatchling? He is MY resssssponsssssibility, and I will not let sssssssome talking picture tell me things about my hatchling as if he knows better than I do!_ " Harry knew that Hedwig wasn't a poisonous snake, but he wouldn't be surprised if she started spitting venom in a minute. Even Slytherin looked a bit uncomfortable at Hedwig's sudden burst of anger.

" _I do apologize for distressing you, little one. I only meant that Harry is a student in my house, and I make sure to notice everything about my students. I understand that he is your hatchling, and I am in no way trying to take that away from you. Can you forgive me?_ " Slytherin looked so sincere that Harry almost spoke up and told him that he was absolutely forgiven, but then Harry remembered that he wasn't the one who was hurt by Slytherin's statements. Harry felt Hedwig take a deep breath against his tricep.

" _I sssssuppose I can forgive you… thissssss time._ " Slytherin grinned and thanked Hedwig for her graciousness. " _But if you continue calling me 'little one', I may become upssssset,"_ she added. Slytherin nodded and asked Harry if he was prepared to practice his Parseltounge.

"But how can I practice something if I don't even know how I'm doing it?" Harry was slightly overwhelmed by the events of the last ten minutes, and felt as though he was missing a vital piece of the puzzle.

" _Just speak to me as if you're speaking to Hedwig."_ Slytherin said, not unkindly. But how Harry and Hedwig communicated was more telepathic than anything else, and Harry wasn't sure how to replicate that with someone else. But Hedwig, as usual, was a step ahead of Harry. He felt Hedwig start to slither down his leg the way she did when she needed to go hunt. So Harry stood still and waited for Hedwig to remove herself from his skin. When she did, she stretched out in front of him, and began to grow. Harry was startled, until he remembered that Hedwig was part Occamy, which means that she can control her size. Slytherin cleared his throat, interrupting Harry's musings.

" _Now, I want you to try to speak to Hedwig without touching her,"_ Slytherin instructed. Harry was at a loss, for he truly had no idea how to communicate with Hedwig without touching her. As his shoulders hunched forward, he remembered all the times Petunia had made him feel inferior.

"You're just useless, why don't you go somewhere where you won't be in my way all the time?"

"Your cousin Dudley got A's on all his exams, and here you are, too stupid to go to a regular school. Why your mother left you with me is beyond my understanding."

"I can't wait until you're old enough to move out of my house so I don't need to worry about taking care of you anymore."

Harry's head fell into his hands as he dropped to his knees. He felt like he could hardly breathe through all of the memories. But Hedwig's voice echoed through Harry's mind.

" _Come now, hatchling, I'm right here. You're okay, and you don't need to deal with that awful woman anymore. Hush now, you're safe here."_ Hedwig cooed.

" _Hedwig, I can't just push memories like that to the side. I -"_ Harry came to an abrupt stop as he realized what he was doing. Slytherin smiled as he saw the understanding come over Harry's face.

" _Congratulations, my protege. I will see you to continue your training tomorrow after dinner."_ Slytherin disappeared, leaving Harry to wander back through the castle on his own.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: We would like to give a shout out Daniel from Ohio State who likes our story and showed it to his class. We appreciate you!

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Italics = parseltongue

Sign Language = Bold

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Chapter Six

Over the next few weeks, Harry met with Salazar Slytherin every night to work on his Parseltounge. As of now, Harry was able to communicate with Hedwig clearly as long as she was still in the room. The next step of Harry's training was being able to communicate through barriers, such as doors or windows. But before that could happen, Hogwarts was closing over the winter holiday, much to Harry's dismay. He wasn't looking forward to spending two weeks under Petunia's scrutinizing gaze. Hedwig hissed her disapproval at the thought of being confined to Harry's body for two whole weeks. Harry mentally shushed her, and reminded himself that he would be spending at least two days with Mrs. Thompson while Petunia took Dudley to visit his father's side of the family. A smile crept over Harry's face at the memories of spending time with Mrs. Thompson.

While Harry was contemplating which aspects of school to tell Mrs. Thompson about first, Blaise came into their shared dorm room to finish packing. Blaise waved his hand in front of Harry's face to break him from his reverie. After smiling at his roommate, Harry asked Blaise what he was planning to do over the school holiday.

"Aww, mate, I'm going skiing with mi famiglia in the Alps, and then we're going to my nonna's house for Christmas. I can't wait to eat a whole tray of cannoli," Blaise sighed contentedly. "What about you, Potter?" Harry considered lying about his holiday plans, but Blaise shook his head before Harry began his response.

"You always make this weird face when you're about to lie to me, or anyone else for that matter. Come on, tell me the truth," Blaise coaxed. Harry sighed and looked at his roommate.

"I'll probably spend every day but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone, in my bedroom, while my aunt has all of her friends over and dotes on my cousin while pretending I don't exist," Harry blurted out in a rush. Blaise's face hosted a variety of emotions as Harry stood there debating whether or not he had made a mistake confiding in his roommate. Blaise suddenly smiled at Harry with a sort of determination on his face.

"Do you want to come to Italy with me?" Blaise could barely hide his excitement. Harry was shocked at the invitation. Blaise continued quickly, as if he was afraid Harry would say no. "I'll send my mom an owl before we get on the train, and she'll let me know when we get back to King's Cross Station. You can come meet my family and eat some decent food and play games an-" Harry cut off Blaise's speech and simply said, "I would love to."

Blaise quickly wrote a letter as Harry packed up everything he might need on a trip to Italy, of all places. Hedwig was curious at all the commotion and the sudden change in her hatchling's emotions.

"What issss it, hatchling?" she asked with a healthy amount of curiosity.

"Blaise invited me to go to Italy with his family for holiday," Harry was practically skipping for joy at the sudden development. Hedwig's tail began twitching in excitement as she started talking about all the things she had heard about Italy.

"Sssssssome of the ssssstudentsssss from other yearssss have told each other about Italy… I have heard that there isssss a tower of sssssomething called pizza, and a giant round cage where men fight with sssssticksssss or get eaten by lionsssss." Hedwig seemed proud of herself for remembering all of the slightly inaccurate information, and Harry didn't have the heart to correct her.

Blaise cleared his throat from the other side of the room. Harry turned suddenly, embarrassed that he had left his friend out of his conversation. But Blaise didn't look angry, he looked… impressed.

"When did you learn to do that?" Blaise was practically awestruck.

"I've been practicing every night after dinner for the past few weeks," Harry sheepishly admitted.

"So that's where you've been disappearing to? Parseltounge practice?" Blaise raised his eyebrows at Harry, not sure whether or not to believe him. Harry considered whether or not to tell Blaise about his meetings with the Salazar Slytherin, when Hedwig shifted and Harry knew that he should be honest with his friend. So he took a deep breath and finally opened up to another human being.

As the pair made their way back to the Hogwart's Express, the story came out. Harry started with the day he met Hedwig in the garden, how he was basically home-schooled by his neighbor, all the problems with his aunt, his deafness, and all the way up through Hagrid coming to collect him and bringing him to Diagon Alley. Blaise looked as though someone had hit him with a frying pan as he tried to comprehend and process this sudden burst of information. Harry and Blaise made their way through the train until they found an empty car. Hedwig had freed herself from Harry's robes and sat, coiled, next to Blaise's leg on the velvety seat. Knowing that it was a lot of information to take in, Harry patiently waited for Blaise to comment before continuing. The train pulled away from the station as the two sat in silence. Finally, after about half an hour, Blaise spoke.

"You're really deaf?" Harry couldn't help the laugh that escaped his throat. All of the things he had told Blaise, and that was his first question? Seriously?

"Yes, I'm really deaf, but you can't tell anyone. I don't want to be anyone's pity project," Harry held out his pinky, expecting Blaise to do the same.

"Mate… why are you holding out your finger like that?" Blaise cocked his head to the side, clearly confused.

"It's a pinky swear, don't you remember pinky swears?" Didn't everyone do pinky swears? Harry didn't understand why this was an issue.

"That's such a muggle thing to do, mate," Blaise shook his head. "Wizards do something a little different to make promises."

Harry was unsure of what making a "wizard's promise" would entail. Blaise pulled out his wand and waited for Harry to do the same. Once both wands were out, Blaise crossed his wand with Harry's, forming an "X". Blaise took a deep breath and began to recite, "The owner of this wand is of my family, and I will not betray the trust bestowed on me." Raising his eyebrows, Blaise waited for Harry to repeat the oath.

"The owner of this wand is of my family, and I will not betray the trust bestowed on me." A fine blue mist floated out of the end of the wands and appeared to tie a knot around the crossing point of the two wands. Harry wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, until Blaise grinned and told him that everything ever said between them would remain a secret until the other person said that it would be okay to tell. Harry felt a certain lightness in his chest at the thought of having someone, besides Hedwig, that he could trust.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: For anyone who is a little confused based on our writing we would like to clear up a few things. Harry can't hear, and is completely deaf. We may reference that some people "say" or "said" something in our chapters, this is because Hedwig interprets for Harry in real time through a mental bond they share as familiar and master. Harry is able to communicate in parseltonge though. Snake do not have ear and are generally unable to hear. Which is why they use their tongues to "see" or "hear" what is going on around them though the vibrations. Since Harry is a parseltonge he is able to use the same communication methods by sensing the vibrations in the air.

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 _Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

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Chapter Seven

Winter holiday went by in a blur for Harry. He went skiing for the first time in his life, and subsequently discovered that he had absolutely no business being anywhere near skis. He also tried what must have been over one hundred different foods: antipasto, roasted red peppers, spaghetti bolognese, pollo parmigiana, and a bunch more that Harry couldn't even pronounce. Blaise made absolutely sure that Harry tried one of "Nonna Zabini's famous cannoli", and after the first timid bite, Harry practically inhaled the pastry, licking the remnants off of his fingers as Blaise's family tried to hide their laughter.

Sent back to school with enough leftovers to feed both of them for the next month - "I don't trust what they feed you in that school, young man!" "Yes, Nonna." - Harry and Blaise settled back into their normal routine. The mermaids, especially Jordan and her new little sister, Dela, were very excited to have their friend back. They sat at the big window for hours, trading stories of what happened over winter holiday in each of their lives. Whenever someone noticed Harry sitting in front of the window, one of the older Slytherins would say that it was just Harry being Harry, and no more was said about it. But Harry's signing was drastically improving, if he did say so himself, and it was a source of pride for him.

During one of Harry's conversations with Jordan, he found out that there was a portrait of a mermaid hanging inside the castle, close to the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. Jordan told Harry that this poor mermaid hadn't been able to use her own language, Myr, in at least 100 years. Harry knew what it felt like to have no one to communicate with, so he promised Jordan that he would find this mermaid, and help her to feel less alone.

After wandering around hallways that seemed to go in circles, Harry was about ready to give up on finding this painting. He started signing to himself, almost as if he were muttering. "How on earth am I supposed to find one painting in this giant castle when there are 75 paintings on every single wall? Will Jordan be mad at me if I tell her I tried but couldn't find it? How am I supposed to introduce myself to a perfect stranger?" Harry's nerves were getting the best of him, and he really wished there was someone to give him at least a nudge in the right direction.

Suddenly, as if his prayers had miraculously been answered, a portrait of a brunette woman was waving her hands in his direction. She beckoned him closer to her, and without knowing why, he obeyed. As he approached, he saw that this portrait began signing to him.

" **Hello, child. You seem to be lost."** The painting smiled at him kindly. Harry was very lost, and he told this woman so.

" **I'm trying to find a very specific portrait, but all I know is that it's near the door to the Ravenclaw common room. Do you know where that is?"** Harry was hopeful that this woman would know where to go.

" **Who is this portrait of, child? Perhaps I can assist you that way, instead."** The woman in the painting looked vaguely familiar, but Harry couldn't quite place where he recognized her from.

" **The portrait is of a mermaid, and it's been hanging here for a long time."** She thought for a moment, and then her face brightened.

" **I know exactly which portrait you speak of. If you would like to follow me, I will lead you there."** Harry took off running as the woman in the portrait seemed to fly through painting after painting, leading him to his destination. After running down corridors he had never noticed, Harry finally came to a panting stop in front of a painting featuring a rock covered in flowers on the edge of a body of water. Still panting, Harry asked the woman " **You're sure this is the right one?"**

" **I know every painting in the corridor leading to the common room of my own house, dear child."** Harry blanched, suddenly realizing who this woman was. He had unknowingly been signing with Rowena Ravenclaw, herself. It was all Harry could do to make himself sign " **Sorry"** and " **Thank you"** before she nodded and went back to her own frame. Harry shook his head to clear it, and wondered how to go about calling the mermaid to the surface of her painted lake.

Hedwig apparently had an idea of how to get the mermaid's attention. She made herself small enough to fit in Harry's palm and coiled up, resting her tail between his fingers. At first, Harry was surprised that she was so small, but Hedwig simply cocked her head to the side and hissed, " _Occamy, remember?_ " If she was human, Harry would have sworn she was smiling at him. Shaking his head, Harry lifted his hand until Hedwig was close enough to touch the painting. And that was exactly what she did; she stretched herself out until her nose was pressed against the painting itself. Hedwig left her nose there for a couple seconds, and then pulled back. Nodding, she turned and slithered back up Harry's sleeve. Harry was confused. He was just about to ask Hedwig what that was about, when he saw it. A mermaid tail flipping just under the surface of the water in the painting! Vibrating with excitement, Harry waited for the mermaid to pull herself up onto the rock that was available to her.

When the mermaid did finally settle on the rock and turn to look at him, Harry was in shock. This was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He hesitantly raised his hands and signed " **Hello, my name is Harry Potter. What's your name?"** The mermaid's cerulean eyes nearly bugged out from her pale skin. She signed back, " **My name is Leane. How did you learn to use Myr?"** Harry let out a breath and told Leane that on land, this language was called Sign Language, and he learned it because he was deaf. " **Deaf?"** Leane asked, confusion written on her face. Harry explained about his childhood ear infection and how his ears don't work anymore. Understanding blossomed on Leane's face, and Harry seriously hoped that he would be able to see her again.

The pair signed back and forth for a while, mostly consisting of Leane telling Harry about living in a painting and Harry catching Leane up on the lives of all the other mermaids in the lake. As he told her about Cifi and Hanna and Jordan and new little Dela, Leane looked sad. Harry abruptly stopped and asked, " **What's wrong?"** Leane wiped her orange hair off of her face in an attempt to hide the fact that she was also trying to dry the tears on her cheeks. " **I just miss my family. Do you know what that feels like?"** Harry nodded, because he missed his parents every day, despite not remembering them. " **Leane, I promise I'll find a way to bring you back to your family. Count on it."** Leane let out a sad smile and told Harry that she would love to talk to him again another day, but she needed to be alone now. Harry nodded and smiled back, waving as he walked back down the corridor.


	8. Chapter 8

_Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

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Chapter Eight

"Blaise, how do I know if I have a crush on someone?" Harry asked out of the blue as he lay in bed that night, replaying his conversation with Leane from earlier that same day. Blaise sat straight up in his own bed. Harry had never mentioned anyone in this capacity before. Blaise took a deep breath and asked Harry to describe the person he was thinking of.

"She's so beautiful. She has this pale skin, but it's not too pale. And her eyes are this perfect shade of blue, and her hair is bright orange and curly in the perfect way to frame her face, and her hands are perfect, and I can really talk to her, you know? I can't wait to go see her again tomorrow, my heart's beating so fast just thinking about her." Harry let out a contented sigh and sank back against his pillows. Blaise asked if he wanted to kiss this girl, and Harry just looked confused. "Kiss her? I've only talked to her once!"

"Mate, that sounds like a crush. Let me guess, the first time you saw her, you couldn't even think straight. That was the most important thing in the whole world to you in that moment was talking to this girl, learning her name, learning everything you could about her. Right?" Harry could only nod. "Yeah mate, that sounds like a crush. Good luck with it," Blaise laughed. "Who is this girl, anyway? I don't think there's anyone in our year that looks like that." Harry got nervous and told Blaise that she wasn't really popular, so he wouldn't know her. Blaise just shrugged and rolled over to go to sleep. But Harry was still wide awake, probably because of the adrenaline rush he felt talking about Leane. Eventually he fell asleep, dreaming about underwater worlds and Irish girls with blue eyes reaching for his hand.

The next day between classes, Harry was more jumpy than usual. A few classmates noticed and asked Harry if he was alright, but he didn't really respond. He decided to take a walk to work off some of his nerves before going to talk to Leane again. Lost in his own head, Harry didn't notice a hallway turning to the left. With an impressive "oof!", Harry ran face-first into a painting of a robust man in a red and gold robe with a mop of curly hair.

"You okay, mate?" The painting asked.

"I'm okay, sorry," Harry started. "Did I startle you?"

"Only a bit, but it's nothing to worry about," the painting smiled at Harry. "You seem distracted. Want to talk about it?" Harry figured there was nothing to lose, so he told this painting about the beautiful girl consuming his consciousness. The painting listened patiently, nodding where appropriate. When Harry had finished, the painting thought for a moment and repeated, "Red hair, blue eyes, pale skin? Are you talking about Leane? The mermaid?" Harry felt his face turning more and more red by the second. The painting continued, oblivious to Harry's discomfort. "You're nervous because you like her, and you don't want to make a fool of yourself, right?" Harry nodded. The painting nodded back.

"I like you, mate. I'm going to help you build up your confidence, so you can ask Leane out with confidence. Sound good?" The painting looked at Harry expectantly. Harry was surprised that someone he just met five minutes ago would be so willing to help him. But, Harry knew he was also in no position to turn down help, so he agreed to the painting's plan.

"Thank you for being willing to help me, Mr…" Harry trailed off, unsure of the painting's name.

"Gryffindor. Godric Gryffindor." If Gryffindor had a physical body, Harry strongly suspected that he would have thrust his arm out for a handshake. Harry smiled and responded, "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

"Potter… Was your father named James? And your mother, was her name Lily?" Harry's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe that this painting knew who his parents were! Harry managed a nod. Gryffindor grinned widely. "Thought so, there aren't too many Potter's around here, and you're about the right age. I'm sorry about what happened to them, they didn't deserve it. And neither did you, kid." Harry sniffed back a tear or two, and tried to pull himself together. Gryffindor continued, "Your dad was always hanging out with those other three, what were their names? Remus, Peter, and… oh, who was the third one… Sirius! That was it! Oh, those four were always running around and getting into trouble, just like those twins from my house. But they're not in your year, are they? Oh, I'm rambling, I'm sorry. I do that when I get excited. Anyway, moving on to your confidence lessons." Harry's head was spinning from the onslaught of information just thrown at him.

"Harry?" Gryffindor's voice suddenly broke through Harry's whirlwind thoughts. He shook his head to clear it, and smiled at the man who had once known his father.

"The easiest way to gain confidence is: plan to be clumsy and awkward."

"But why would I do that?" Harry was confused.

"Because," Gryffindor grinned, "you're going to be clumsy and awkward anyway, so you might as well add it to your plan. It'll make you feel better, trust me." Harry wasn't sure, but it was a better plan than he had up until then. Taking a deep breath, and glad that he had found someone who could answer questions about his parents, Harry said goodbye for now to Godric Gryffindor and went to find his Irish mermaid.


	9. Chapter 9

_Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

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Chapter Nine

Over the course of the next few weeks, the weather got warmer, students were sitting out on the grass near the lake to study, and some of the older students pulled their brooms out to play pick-up games of quidditch. But Harry missed all of that. Instead, he sat inside, spending all of his free time with his beloved Leane. The two talked about everything, from how lonely it was living in a painting to Harry's home life to how much Leane enjoyed being able to use her native language again. However, Leane always mentioned how much she wanted to rejoin her sisters in the lake. And Harry had promised to help her accomplish this. But the only problem was, he had no idea how to do that.

After yet another brainstorming session that yielded exactly zero answers, Leane suggested asking someone else for help with their dilemma.

" **Who would you want to ask?"** Harry hadn't told anyone that he was talking to a painting every day, so who would know what to do?

" **We could ask the woman in blue, the one that knows Myr almost as well as you do."** Leane was referring to Rowena Ravenclaw. Harry could have smacked himself in the head. Of course they should ask Rowena! If anyone would know how to free Leane from her painting, it would be her! Harry got up and ran up and down the hallway, looking for Rowena's signature blue dress. He looked at painting after painting, but he couldn't seem to find the one painting that would have the answers he so desperately needed.

Finally, he stopped and asked, loudly, if anyone knew where Rowena was. Someone called back that it was Thursday, so she was down visiting Helga near the kitchens. Harry called a hasty "Thanks!" over his shoulder as he took off down the stairs to the Hufflepuff common room. He flew down stairs, around corners, even jumping over a cat at one point, until he came to a stop outside the kitchens. Looking around furtively, he finally spotted the blue dress he had been searching for all afternoon. Harry began waving his arms frantically, waiting for Rowena to turn and see him.

" **We need your help! Leane is trapped in her painting and really wants to get back into the lake with her family and I promised her that I would help but I don't know how and we thought that if anyone would know what to do, it would be you."** Harry was pretty sure his hands had never flown that fast in his entire life.

" **I'm sorry, my child, I am unable to help you. The world of paintings is a world that, while it is my home, I am unfamiliar with."** Rowena looked at Harry and made a gesture of helplessness.

"Would either one of you mind filling me in? I don't sign as well as the two of you, and I feel like I've missed some information." A young woman in a yellow dress interjected, seemingly upset at being left out. Rowena turned with a sympathetic smile and apologized to her friend.

" **Because my friend doesn't sign, is it okay if we speak instead? I know you have your little snake helping you with that,"** Rowena looked unsure about asking, as if she were afraid of offending him. Harry simply smiled at her.

"Yeah, we can talk. I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you weren't familiar with sign language," Harry spoke to the woman in yellow directly. She smiled brightly at him and told him not to worry about it.

"My name is Helga, Helga Hufflepuff. What's your name?"

"I'm Harry, it's nice to meet you." Harry smiled back at her.

"So, Harry, you were signing pretty hastily with Rowena when you got here. Is there anything I can help with?" Harry explained that he promised his mermaid friend, Leane, that he would help free her from her painting so she could rejoin her sisters in the lake. But, he didn't have even the slightest clue how to go about doing that, so he asked Rowena for help, but she didn't know either.

"I could help you," Helga said softly. Harry's eyes widened. This was exactly what he needed! A way to free Leane and keep his promise to her! Harry was about to ask how, when he saw that Helga looked a little bit distressed.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Harry's happiness was quickly evaporating. Helga explained that in order to do this, Harry would need to take the entire painting, frame and all, to the edge of the lake and break it before throwing it in the water. She also said that if any part of this process was done incorrectly, Leane would dissolve into the paint used to create her and cease to exist. Harry gasped. How could he lose this girl that he cared about so much? But, Harry also knew that it wasn't his decision to make.

"Can you tell me the process? So I can talk to Leane about it and let her decide? Because she's the one that will disappear, not me." Helga smiled down at Harry proudly. She had wondered whether this young one would make a decision without consulting anyone, based solely on emotions. But he had proven her wrong, and Helga knew that he would grow up with a willingness to speak up for those that couldn't speak for themselves. So Helga told Harry the entire process, start to finish.

"Won't she die if I do that?" Harry asked with a healthy amount of fear in his voice.

"That," Helga answered, "is where the trust comes in. If Leane trusts you with her whole heart, she will be freed from her painting safe and sound. I promise." Harry nodded in understanding, and left to go tell Leane what he had learned.

After telling Leane everything that had happened since he ran off an hour ago, she asked him about the process of freeing her from her painting. Harry carefully told her, step by step, everything that would have to be done. Leane looked more and more uneasy the more Harry spoke. Finally, she took a deep breath, and told Harry she would like to sleep on it. " **It's a big decision, you know?"** Harry understood, and told Leane to take her time deciding.

" **When you're ready, send a message through the paintings to the Slytherin common room. I'll come right away, no matter what time it is."** Harry gave Leane a little wave, and went back to his dorm.

Blaise and Harry spent the next week studying for their final exams, which were quickly approaching. One seventh-year, Bridget, was especially helpful in studying Astronomy. But Harry hadn't forgotten about the promise he had made to Leane. So while he was studying, he told Hedwig to alert him immediately if the words "I made my choice" came through any of the paintings. As of yet, those words hadn't found their way to Harry.

One Tuesday afternoon, as Harry was up to his eyeballs in Transfiguration notes, Hedwig suddenly twitched and hissed out, " _I made my choice"_ directly into Harry's head. He jumped up as if he had been stung, flinging his notes everywhere. A few heads turned to look at the sudden noise, and Harry just smiled and bolted out of the room. He sprinted up corridors and flew up stairs, until he arrived, panting, in front of Leane. She looked at Harry, took a deep breath, and sighed.

" **I have decided."**


	10. Chapter 10

A/n: Hi everyone we are really sorry for not posting this chapter yesterday! College, you know? So, to make up for it, we're posting two chapters this week. Enjoy!

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Italics = parseltongue

Sign Language = Bold

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Chapter Ten

"I have decided." Harry stood in front of Leane, wide-eyed, as he waited for her to disclose which course she had chosen. On one hand, Harry wanted her to be free to swim anywhere she chose, whenever she chose. But on the other hand, in her painting, Harry knew that he could see her whenever he wanted. Upon thinking that, he was upset with himself for being so selfish.

"I want to do it. I need to be with my sisters again." The breath Harry hadn't been aware he was holding forced its way out of his lungs. He took a deep breath and tried to recall all the steps of the detailed process to free Leane. As if she could read his mind, Leane smiled at Harry.

"Do you want to go get the woman who told you how to free me? Maybe bring her here?" Leane asked, hope written all over her face. Harry nodded and turned around to start running down to the kitchens. The sight of a yellow dress in a painting across the hall caught his attention before he could launch himself halfway down a flight of stairs.

Harry walked up to the painting slowly, not wanting to startle Helga Hufflepuff. However, she seemed to know that he would be approaching her. She smiled widely at Harry and waved him nearer.

"Harry, how have you been? Oh, you do have your little friend, right? Good. I heard that Leane made up her mind, and I thought you might need me close to help you through the process. Did I guess correctly?" Harry couldn't keep up with Helga's burst of speech, so he just nodded along until she smiled at him again. "Great," Helga beamed. "Will you introduce me to your friend? I'm not sure we've met before." Harry nodded again, and led Helga over to Leane.

"This is Helga Hufflepuff, and she knows how to get you out of there." Harry explained to a confused Leane. Upon hearing his introduction, however, her face lit up like a Christmas tree. She started signing as fast as she could to Helga, whose face had adopted a mildly glazed expression. Harry pressed his hand to his mouth to stifle a giggle, and both women turned to face him. He apologized to both women, and then offered to act as the go-between so they could speak more easily. Both women agreed, so Harry began relaying their conversation.

"So, in order to get you out of your painting, there are a series of steps you and Harry both need to follow."

"I understand that, just tell me what I need to do."

"First, Harry needs to get your painting off of the wall, and bring it outside to the lake without being seen or stopped. I know Minerva doesn't appreciate it when students try to… redecorate."

"Minerva… is that the cat woman?"

"Yes, she can turn into a cat on occasion. But we're losing focus here. Once our lovely boy Harry" - he blushed as he signed this to Leane - "has brought you down to the lake, you will need to tear the bottom of your painting from the inside."

"But how will I do this?"

"You will take your fingernails, or your teeth, or whatever you can find, and make a hole in the protective layer keeping you in this frame."

"Won't my water drain out? How will I survive?"

"This is the difficult part. While you are trying to tear your painting, Harry will be rowing into the middle of the lake, gaining the attention of your sisters. They will help with the next part."

"Okay, so Harry rows into the lake, and I let all the water out of my painting. Should I hold my breath until my sisters come?"

"Yes." Helga looked nervous.

"Okay. I'll do it."

"You will need to trust Harry absolutely, with no doubts in your mind. If you doubt him, you will die. Do you understand me?"

"I do. And I do trust Harry. If I didn't trust him, I wouldn't have chosen this."

"Okay. Today is Wednesday, which means there are too many students around that could see something. I'd suggest waiting until Saturday, when most of the older students have gone for their last Hogsmeade trip. Agreed?"

"Agreed. So I hold my breath and wait for my sisters, but I'll still be stuck in the frame at that point. How do I get out?"

"That's where Harry comes in. Once all of the water is drained, he will need to rip the bottom part of the frame off, and tear off the bottom of the painting as well. You will need to be sitting on your rock when this happens, otherwise he could hurt you."

"Hurt me? How?"

"He could accidentally rip your tail off. Or he could tear one of your arms, or your stomach, or-"

"Okay, okay, I understand. I'll be on my rock, holding my breath and waiting."

"Good. Once the bottom of the painting is ripped off, Harry will hand the rest of the frame to your sisters. They will slowly lower you into the water. Once the water is at a level where you feel comfortable diving in, do it. Swim down as far as you can, as fast as you can. Swim down until you see plants around you that are not familiar to you, and then look at your surroundings."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"So now we just wait for Saturday."


	11. Chapter 11

_Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

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Chapter Eleven

Harry had prepared Jordan and her sisters for what would happen on Saturday. Naturally they were all unsure about how it would work, but they trusted Harry enough to give it a go. After a few questions about where they should be and how many of them were needed, they were ready.

Friday night, Harry couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned for hours after the lights went out, wondering about every possible thing that could go wrong. Harry started drumming his fingers on the nightstand to try and quiet his mind. Blaise suddenly sat straight up in bed, expletives flying.

"Mate. It's three in the bloody morning. If you don't knock it off, I'm going to throw you out of a window."

"We're underground, we don't have windows." Harry replied without really paying attention. If he had been, he would have noticed Blaise get out of bed, and might have been prepared for the pillow that suddenly knocked Harry upside the head.

"What the hell, man?" Harry glared at Blaise, rubbing the back of his head.

"Listen. Whatever's got you so worked up, you need to let it go. It's not a matter of life and death, but it will be if you don't let me get some sleep." Blaise turned over and pulled his blankets up to his chin, effectively ending the conversation. Harry sighed. He rolled over as well, and figured he may as well try to sleep. He started counting backward from 100, like he did when he was at Petunia's to put himself to sleep before his cousin decided to play punch-the-Harry. He was out cold before he reached 90.

Saturday morning, Harry was out of bed and out the door before the sun had finished rising. Dashing down the empty hallways, Harry wasn't nervous about the events that would unfold today. In fact, he felt a strange sort of excitement when he thought about what he would be doing. Harry was so caught up in his excitement that he didn't see Professor Dumbledore until his forehead was hitting Dumbledore's chest.

"You seem excited for breakfast, Harry." Professor Dumbledore said with a slight smirk. Harry was unable to speak. He was shocked that Professor Dumbledore even knew his name. Dumbledore continued as if he hadn't noticed Harry's awkwardness. "I, too, get rather excited over the thought of a good, balanced breakfast. I'd even go so far as to say that after a breakfast like that, I feel strong enough to carry a painting to the lake and then row out to the middle." Harry blanched. He was caught, and now Leane would never be free.

"However, if I wanted to, say, pull the frame apart, I would probably be sure to have an extra sausage or two. Protein is good for muscles." Dumbledore winked at Harry and vanished around a corner. Feeling a healthy dose of shaking replace his earlier excitement, Harry walked calmly to the Great Hall for breakfast.

When Harry got to the Slytherin table, he was the only one there. Looking around, he noticed that the only other people were Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom at the Gryffindor table, a couple of Hufflepuffs all crowded together, and one Ravenclaw girl with her nose buried in some sort of book. Harry shrugged and sat, loading his plate with eggs, toast, sausages, and fruit. He also made himself a cup of tea, in an attempt to calm himself. As he ate, his shaking went away and was replaced with a sense of resolve. Harry thought to himself that he had felt a lot of emotions this morning, and he wasn't accustomed to it. After some more thought, Harry liked that he could feel so many things. He thought that maybe it would help him be able to help others more in the future.

After breakfast, Harry slowly made his way up to Leane's painting. He had started off by running, but a full stomach partnered with the realization that he wouldn't be walking this way ever again after today made him slow down and take in the scenery. However, the closer he got to the Ravenclaw corridor, Harry could have sworn he smelled something funny. Turning the final corner, he realized that what he had been smelling was the ocean water draining out of Leane's painting!

Panicking, Harry knew that they had to go, now. He ran over to the painting and tried to pry it off of the wall, but it wouldn't come off with all his frantic tugging. Leane waved to get Harry's attention, then pointed straight up. Harry took a breath, and tried lifting the painting from the bottom. Lo and behold, it came off the wall without a fuss. Adjusting the painting so it was tucked under his arm, Harry began to run.


	12. Chapter 12

_Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

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Chapter Twelve

Propelling himself around corners and sprinting down abandoned corridors, Harry was having trouble catching his breath as he neared the doors closest to the lake. Finally, Harry took one last turn, and there they were! The doors to the outside, wide open, right there in front of him! Harry got his second wind and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. As soon as he was out in the sunlight, he turned and his feet naturally took the path to the lake he knew so well. Reaching the shore, he put Leane's painting in it and jumped in, ready to start rowing. He put the oars in the water, and pulled. But he didn't move. Harry frowned and tried again, pulling harder. Still, the boat didn't budge. Harry began to panic. Leane was going to run out of breath and it would be all his fault.

Just before Harry gave in to despair, he saw someone come wandering down the shore. Harry looked closer. He recognized that person, it was Professor Dumbledore! Harry stood up and waved his arms, waiting for Dumbledore to see him. After what seemed like an eternity, Dumbledore finally turned towards Harry. Instead of hurrying towards Harry to see what was wrong, Dumbledore seemed to be looking for something. After a moment, the little boat began to pull itself toward the middle of the lake, faster than Harry would have been able to row. Harry made a mental note to thank Professor Dumbledore later.

When the boat got to the middle of the lake, Harry took one of the oars and slapped the wide part of it on top of the water, hoping to gain the attention of the mermaids assigned to help with this task. He really hoped they were ready.

While Harry waited for the mermaids to surface, he was trying to pull the bottom of the picture frame off with no luck. He yanked, he tugged, he swore, and he tried to break it at the corners. Nothing was working. Finally, with desperation, Harry apologized to Leane and slammed the bottom of the frame as hard as he could against the side of the boat. The frame cracked! Harry grabbed the cracked portion and pulled as hard as he could away from the rest of the frame. It came off as easily as tearing paper.

As if they had been cued, Jordan and her sisters came up to the surface, hands up to catch the mangled frame. Harry was so nervous about Leane at this point that he practically threw the painting overboard. Jordan nodded severely at Harry, and disappeared back to the depths. And just as suddenly, Harry was in total silence. For him, the sudden transition from panic to serenity was jarring, and it set him on edge. Harry looked over the side, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was happening below.

The murky water didn't give Harry any sign that the plan had worked. He squinted to try and see better, without success. Harry sat back in the boat and let his head sink into his hands. He had been too late. He couldn't save Leane, and he had been the one that told her she could do this in the first place. This was all his fault, and he was a terrible person. That's what Harry kept telling himself, over and over, as he sat in the middle of the lake. Harry was so absorbed in berating himself that he didn't see the curly, red hair pop up in the lake next to him. He didn't know anything besides his own misery until he felt something knock against the side of his boat.

Harry's eyes snapped open in shock. He flung himself over to the side of the boat so fast that he nearly fell out and joined the mermaids down below. What he saw, however, made him feel like he could have joined the owls that were flying high above the turrets of the castle.

" **Were you worried about me?"** Leane grinned at him from her place in the water. All Harry could do was nod. He had never been so relieved in his entire life, including the day Hagrid took him out of Petunia's house.

" **I thought you had died, and it was all my fault."** Harry signed, still not quite believing his eyes. He started to reach toward Leane, to see if she was actually here, alive, in front of him, but he held back. Leane noticed, and reached toward his hand instead. She pressed her cool, wet palm into his warm, dry one, and signed, " **See? Real and living. Thanks to you,"** she retracted her hand, " **I am reunited with my sisters, and we can sing and play together in harmony. We owe you a great deal."** Harry told Leane that he didn't want them to owe him, and that he was just happy the plan had worked. Knowing what he did about mermaids, however, Harry knew that someday in the future, they would repay him. Mermaids always remembered those that helped them, and kept an eye on those people. Harry smiled to himself as he thought about how Blaise's large Italian family had similar values. He vaguely wondered what Blaise's Nonna would think about the matriarch of the mermaids, who Harry had yet to meet. Shaking his head slightly, Harry rowed back to shore to start packing for the summer break.


	13. Chapter 13

_Italics = parseltongue_

 **Sign Language = Bold**

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Chapter Thirteen

Over the next week, Harry alternated between studying for his final exams, packing, and sitting in front of the window under the lake spending as much time as he could with the mermaids. Jordan, Dela, and Leane all told Harry that he should skip going back on the train and come live underwater with them. When Harry reminded them that he wasn't able to do that because of his own personal anatomy, Dela laughed, while Jordan and Leane told him that it didn't matter. He was family, even if he didn't have gills. Harry blushed at that, which made Dela laugh even harder.

The night before all of the students were supposed to take the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross station, Dumbledore announced that some of the carriages were being repaired, and wouldn't be ready for the morning. Volunteers were needed to take the boats back across the lake, to ensure that the train would be able to leave on time. Harry threw his hand in the air so quickly that he nearly propelled his entire body into the air with it. He couldn't be sure, but Harry thought that he saw Dumbledore smirk in his direction. A few other students, mostly seventh years, raised their hands as well, and it was settled.

After dinner, Harry and Blaise were doing some last minute packing. They had both been packing all week, Blaise talking excitedly about his plans for the summer. Harry just smiled and nodded, deflecting any questions about his own plans. In all honesty, Harry would probably spend his summer in his tiny bedroom in Petunia's house or out in the backyard. But now, on his last night in this room, Harry was reluctant to leave. He had friends here, he was happy here. Tears pricked Harry's eyes as he realized what this place was to him; Hogwarts was his home.

Blaise looked up from his trunk just in time to see Harry wipe at his eyes. "Are you crying, mate? Don't worry, summer doesn't fly as fast as the sixth- and seventh-years say it does. Plus, when we come back, you'll be able to tell me about what you did over the summer, instead of avoiding the question. Oh, hell, what did I say?" Harry had gone from a few tears in his eyes to being unable to stop them from rolling down his cheeks. Blaise lost the color in his face, and blurted, "You told me a couple months ago about your family. I'm sorry, I forget that not everyone's family is like mine. Plus, we kind of look alike, you know? So I just had it in my head that you had a big, Italian family at home, same as me. I'm sorry, mate."

Harry sniffled, wiped his nose, and smiled at Blaise. The fact that they looked alike was pretty common knowledge, and they often got asked if they were cousins. Harry wished he had a cousin like Blaise instead of Dudley. For a moment, Harry let his imagination take him to a world where he was a member of a family like Blaise's big Italian family. He pictured helping Blaise's Nonna make sauce on a Sunday morning, and playing Exploding Snap with all of the little cousins. Taking a deep breath, Harry shook his head to clear the images. He told Blaise that he wished they could be cousins in real life, but for now they would have to settle for roommates. Blaise looked like he was thinking about something, but told Harry he didn't want to talk about it. Harry just shrugged and got ready to spend his last night in a room with someone who cared about him.

The morning dawned bright and clear, and Harry and Blaise packed their pajamas and toothbrushes and all the last minute things that they knew they would need. They wandered down to the Great Hall for breakfast, stopping to talk to classmates and housemates alike. Harry wanted breakfast to last as long as possible. Harry refilled his plate again and again with eggs, sausages, and his personal favorite, French toast. But, sadly, the plates were cleared, and Dumbledore stood to wish everyone a safe trip home.

As everyone made their way out of the Great Hall, Harry hung back for a moment. He looked around, trying to commit as much of this place to his memory as he could before he had to leave. Dumbledore spoke from behind him, making Harry jump.

"You're going to miss this place, aren't you?" Harry gulped before answering.

"I really am, Professor. I feel more at home here than I ever did with my aunt and my cousin."

"I see. Well, Harry, perhaps one day your family will come around and treat you the way you would like." After briefly clapping Harry on the back, Dumbledore was gone. Harry looked around one more time, and made his way down to the shore of the lake.

Harry climbed into a boat with five other Slytherins and began sailing across the lake. They were all reminiscing about how it was fitting, leaving Hogwarts the same way they arrived seven years ago. Harry wasn't really paying attention. He was too busy trailing his fingers through the water, waiting for Dela to come chase the ripples he left on the surface. After about 15 seconds, Harry saw Dela come rushing toward the surface, trying to catch his fingers. He laughed and stuck both hands in the water, and Dela came up almost to the surface. Harry was confused as Dela wriggled around until she was swimming on her back. She reached her hands out and ran both of her palms along Harry's. Leane had described this sort of thing to him during their weeks of talking inside the castle.

" **When mermaids glide their palms together, it's a sign of both love and respect. It's like the mermaid initiating the contact is saying 'I love you, I appreciate you, and I consider you to be a part of my family.' Does that make sense?"**

Harry teared up a little at the memory. He quickly signed " **I love you, too"** to Dela, before she swam back to her sisters. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he stepped off the boat and took in the sight of the train, sitting on the track, half full of students getting ready to go home. Harry took a deep breath and caught sight of Blaise, who made it clear to Harry that a seat was being saved. With a smile, Harry looked back over his shoulder at the castle, then turned and walked onto the train.

-End of Book One-

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A/n - I hope everyone enjoyed our first book. Keep a look out for next Monday (April 16, 2018) for book 2!


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